Boys and Girls
by Liselle129
Summary: A series of brief oneshots in and around Ba Sing Se. The rating is for innuendo and hormonal teenagers. Mostly Kataang, with hints of Sukka George, Tokka, Jinko, Maiko, and Soko. Ch 18: Azula has captured Katara, but there's some dissent in the ranks.
1. Toph and Katara, continued

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender

Author's Note: So am I the only one who finds it sexy when Aang earthbends? At first, I thought it was just the drama of his battle with Azula, but I responded when he was building the zoo, too. Yeah, okay, I'm weird.

Anyway, this was going to be a oneshot, but I just had too many ideas to cram in. Instead, it's a series of related scenes inspired by Tales of Ba Sing Se. At the moment, I think it will be three chapters. The first one begins immediately after the Tale of Toph and Katara.

**Toph and Katara, continued**

"Well, Twinkle-toes thinks you're beautiful," Toph continued. "I guess I'll just have to take his word for it." Katara looked sharply at the other girl, seeing the smug smirk on her face that was usually reserved for earthbending opponents. Katara felt color rising to her cheeks.

"How do you know he wasn't just being polite?" she answered, trying desperately to keep her tone level.

"In _that_ tone?" Toph snorted derisively. "And I'm guessing that Sokka's reaction means that the way he was looking at you wasn't entirely innocent, either."

"It was just a flick," Katara said faintly, blushing even harder. Yes, she remembered Aang's expression quite well. Bringing it to mind now, combined with his tone of voice, brought a warm, tingly feeling to a place deep inside of her. She had to admit that she had really liked his reaction.

"Come off it, Katara. I can feel you blushing from here."

"You can not!" Katara objected, before belatedly realizing that she had virtually confessed that she was. Toph's smile broadened. "How do you do that?"

"It's a gift."

"This is supposed to be a girls' day," Katara attempted to salvage the situation. "We're not supposed to be talking about the boys."

"That's funny. I thought the main thing girls talked about when they were alone was…boys."

Katara's mouth worked for a few seconds, but no sound came out. She realized that Toph was right. Had she been traveling with Aang and Sokka so long that she'd forgotten what groups of girls were like?

"Okay, you win," Katara gave in. "What do you want to talk about?"

"What do they look like?"

"Who?"

"The boys, of course," Toph sounded exasperated. "What _are_ we talking about?"

"I'm not sure how to describe them that will make any sense to you."

"That's okay. Just give it a try. I know how tall they are, how heavy they are, and how they walk. Fill in the rest for me."

Katara did her best to describe Aang and Sokka, focusing on the size and shape of their features, since things like color would have no meaning for Toph. Toph was particularly interested in Aang's tattoos.

"Where do they start?" she wondered.

"Well, the ones that end on his hands start under the shoulder. I'm not really sure about the others; I haven't seen enough of him."

"How is that possible? He doesn't wear much when he's swimming."

"How would you know that?"

"Clothing gives vibrations, too."

"Oh," Katara did not offer any more.

"So you're saying you'd pretty much have to see him naked to know for sure?"

"Toph!" Katara exclaimed, blushing again. Okay, so she had thought about it a time or two.

"Hey, it's nothing to me," Toph shrugged. "I can 'see' everyone naked whether they're clothed or not because I can tell the difference between their clothes and their body."

"Can we just talk about something else?" Katara found this revelation a little disturbing.

"Whatever. We're almost back, anyway."

Katara looked up and found that, in fact, they were turning onto their street. Even though it had only been a few hours, she found that she was excited to see Aang again. She shoved aside her embarrassment and quickened her footsteps to approach their door.

Author's Note: I really thought Toph and Katara should have exchanged some girl talk at some point. Besides, Toph's comment about not knowing what Katara looked like seemed to lead naturally into her making some snarky comment about Aang's reaction to her being dressed up.

I have to give some credit to my husband here for coming up with the theory that, to Toph, everyone is essentially naked, and their clothes are a layer of vibrations over that.


	2. Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender

Author's Note: This is what Aang and Sokka were talking about as Toph and Katara made their way back to the house. I want to thank the ladies who reviewed and assured me that I was not alone. avatarkataang, I asked them to comment on that, so don't sweat it! More specific review responses at the end.

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch 

"Hey, Sokka," Aang called out as he entered the house they were sharing. Sokka was on the floor of the common area, a few scrolls and books strewn around him. He was lying on his stomach, propped up on his elbows and looking at one of them.

"Hi, Aang," Sokka responded distractedly. Aang threw himself onto one of the floor cushions, dropping his staff carelessly to the side.

"What did you do today?" Aang asked.

"Got involved in a poetry duel."

"Really? I didn't even know you could fight with that."

"Well, I sort of stumbled into a poetry reading and started composing haiku," Sokka explained, pulling himself into a sitting position.

"Sounds fun. Does that make you a poetry bender?"

"I prefer wordbender, actually," Sokka replied, adopting his fake, high-class accent.

"How did you do?"

"Well, I was going really good for a while, but they threw me out for putting an extra syllable in the last line."

Aang began to laugh.

"It's not funny!" exclaimed Sokka irritably.

"Are you kidding? It's hilarious!" Aang managed, once he'd caught his breath.

"Well, what did _you _do?" Sokka challenged.

"I built a new zoo."

Sokka blinked at him a couple of times.

"You know, it should probably worry me that I'm not even surprised anymore when you say things like that," he commented dryly. Aang just grinned impishly at him, then put his hands behind his head and looked at the ceiling.

"So, what do you suppose Toph and Katara are up to?" Aang wondered aloud.

"Who knows? Girl stuff. Shopping, long baths, doing their hair and makeup."

"That doesn't sound so bad," Aang replied, trying to push the image of Katara bathing out of his mind. Then he smiled and rubbed his shaved head. "Except for the hair and makeup part."

"What? You didn't like wearing the Kyoshi makeup?" Sokka teased.

"Well, it did feel kind of familiar," Aang reflected. "You've worn it, too. What did you think?"

"It wasn't all that different from the war paint we wore at the South Pole. Besides, there were benefits." Sokka gave a lopsided smile.

"Same here," Aang remarked, closing his eyes to better remember the touch of Katara's hands on his face as she had applied the makeup for his trial and the way parts of her body had occasionally brushed against him as she worked. "Ow!" he exclaimed, sitting up suddenly and catching a blurry glimpse of the scroll that had just bounced off his nose.

"Don't think I forgot who put that makeup on you!" Sokka warned, who was now standing with a book at the ready. "Stop thinking about my sister like that!"

"Hey, _you're_ the one who talked about her taking a bath," Aang retorted petulantly, rubbing his nose. "What did you _expect_ me to think about?" Sokka looked thoroughly nonplussed for a moment, and he lowered the book slowly.

"Sorry," he apologized. He sat back down and exhaled heavily, puffing his cheeks out. "All right, we're going to have to lay out some ground rules here. It's not like I'm surprised by recent…developments."

"You're not?"

"Nah. You guys always had some kind of freaky connection. Just because I don't understand it doesn't mean I didn't see it. It was only a matter of time before…I don't even mind all that much. I just don't really want to watch. Do you understand?"

"Not really," Aang admitted. Sokka rubbed his temples as though he were getting a headache.

"Yeah, I guess not. How about this? You try to keep the stuff that happens in front of me to a minimum. In return, I'll work harder not to say things that will give you thoughts that'll make me hit you."

"I can't control what _she_ does," Aang pointed out, frowning doubtfully.

"Who can?" Sokka shrugged helplessly. "I've been trying for years. You and I just do what we can. _And_ I'll try to restrain myself if I see that something is clearly her fault."

"Deal," Aang agreed, and they bowed to each other to seal it. "So…what are you doing now?"

"Oh, I thought I'd look through the library to see if there was anything interesting. I should have known better; it's mostly poetry and boring romance stories."

"Oh, really?" Aang's eyes lit up. "Can I have one of those?" Sokka shook his head disbelievingly.

"You know, you really are weird," he said flatly, handing over one of the scrolls with an attitude that suggested he thought Aang was a lost cause. The Avatar just grinned back. He was used to this accusation by now, and he had realized that, from Sokka, it only meant you were different from him.

All things considered, Aang was quite glad not to be _too_ much like Katara's brother.

Author's note: That last little bit was for you, SnakeEyes. I think you and Aang might have a few things in common.

Forgot this part last time…member of the Boomeraang Squad: charleegirl, Jesus.Lives, Liselle129

Review responses:

frozenheat: Hope you liked this one as well as the first. It was the guys' turn.

MormonMaiden: Thanks, hope you liked the guy talk, too. I agree on your assessment of Aang. Those Zutara people who refuse to see Aang as anything but a little kid just don't have a clue! I do hope they have an epilogue at the end of the series to wrap everything up.

Kairuthefrog: Thanks! It just occurred to me that the episode ended that scene a little too soon.

pinguinolatino: Thank you, and I'm glad you agree.

Dakyu: Ah, well. I didn't mean to steal your thunder on the clothing thing, but it sort of makes sense that more than one person would come up with it.

JoJoDancer: Yes, I know what you mean. I'm a girl who's not all that girly.

avatarkataang: I know exactly what you mean. I, too, was hoping for some Aang and Katara interaction there. Technically, I still haven't written that, but at least you can see they're thinking about each other.

Jesus.Lives: Yes, Aang seems to be maturing both physically and emotionally, which makes sense in light of everything he's been through.

kataang93: Yay Kataang!

SnakeEyes16: Thank you very much, I'm happy to help people get their fluff quota for the day. It's fun for me, too. As long as I have these scenes running through my head, I might as well write them down and share them.

ScatterdParchment: Thanks, and I hoped you liked this one, too.

Supergirrl: Very true. On the other hand, she's never known life any other way. It would probably be kind of like growing up in a nudist colony. You just accept that's the way it is.


	3. Bringing it Together

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender

Author's Note: I just watched this episode again, and I realized that Sokka's poetry adventure was in the evening. So, just assume it took Aang, Toph, and Katara a long time to get back, and people in the city don't eat dinner until well after sunset. Review responses at the end.

Bringing it Together 

Katara pushed open the door, allowing Toph and herself to enter. Aang and Sokka were reading, but they looked up at the sound. It appeared that they had pulled some selections from the house's modest library. Aang air-lifted himself to his feet, eyes lighting up with the sheer pleasure of seeing them (her?) again. One of the things Katara had always admired about him was his ability to find enjoyment in simple things.

"Hi. How was your day?" he asked them cheerfully.

"It was nice," Katara responded, glancing at Toph.

"Yeah," Toph agreed. "I learned that it's okay to act like a girl sometimes."

"Whoever said it wasn't?" Sokka inquired, looking genuinely confused.

"Ignore him," Katara advised. Then she turned to Aang. "Any luck finding Appa?"

"No," he replied sadly, and Katara gave him a quick hug. He brightened. "But I did make some other animals a lot happier."

"How did you do that?" Toph chimed in.

"He built a zoo," Sokka answered for him. Katara looked down at Aang again.

"That must have been some serious earthbending," she commented. "Wish I could have seen it."

"I can take you there tomorrow," he suggested, smiling at the compliment.

"As your teacher, I should probably check it out, too," Toph pointed out.

"Sure," he said amiably. "Let's all go!"

"Katara and I sent some snotty girls down the river," Toph added.

"Oh, girls in wet dresses? Show me the way!" Sokka exclaimed. When Katara glared at him and uncorked her water pouch, he backed off. "Hey, I was just kidding. Sheesh!"

"They were being very rude, so we decided to teach them a lesson," Katara returned to the conversation at hand. Aang began studying her intently, and she frowned. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

"No. I mean, you look great," he assured her, cheeks reddening a little. "I was just thinking that I like you better without makeup. It just sort of hides how pretty you really are."

"Oh," was all Katara could manage as she blushed in her own turn. Sokka made a disgusted noise from the other side of the room.

"I can't take this," he announced, picking up some random documents as he stood up. "Let me know when dinner gets here. I'll be in my room."

"Me, too," Toph moved to join him.

"You'll be in your room, then, Toph?" Katara asked, somewhat distractedly.

"No. His."

Two heads swiveled in unison to follow her progress as she left the room. Aang and Katara turned back toward each other.

"Did I miss something?" Aang wondered aloud.

"Not unless I did, too," Katara replied. Aang visibly shook it off and smiled at her.

"What do you say we enjoy our time alone?" he suggested, and there was a new glint in his eye that made Katara's heart begin to race.

"Definitely," she started, but suddenly, she noticed something odd. "Um, Aang? Why is your nose red?" Aang touched the feature self-consciously.

"Don't ask," he advised her with a grimace. As he took her by the hand and led her out to the back garden, she was only too happy to comply.

Author's note: Hee hee, I'll leave the rest to your imagination. I just figure that, after 30 minutes or so, Aang was wearing about half of Katara's makeup. Aang's comment about the makeup was from my husband because that's what he says to me. Aside from theatre performances, I don't think I've been in full makeup since my wedding.

That's the end of my ideas, but I'm considering taking requests. Egglette already asked for a Zuko/Song, so I might be able to manage that. Just put a one-sentence suggestion for a story in your review. I have two conditions: the idea must be able to be condensed into one scene, and it has to somehow relate to Tales of Ba Sing Se or these three shorts I've already done. If I decide to do your story, I'll name it after you.

Member of the Boomeraang Squad: charleegirl, Jesus.Lives, Liselle129

Review responses: Thank you to frozenheat, Tech-Man, TTAvatarfan, abcdef…, ScattrdParchment, Ari-Griffin, Ron Weasly girl, and Egglette for expressing your enjoyment of the story.

MormonMaiden: Well, I have a brother three years younger, and it's quite amazing what a guy and his friends will talk about in front of a sister that they won't necessarily talk about in front of other girls. It opens up a whole new world.;) Of course, I now also have a husband, and he often helps me with the masculine perspective in my fics.

Jesus.Lives: I didn't mean to distract you. How was this one?

SnakeEyes16: Don't worry about it. I gather you're on the west coast, which means you're going to probably be a few hours behind many of my readers. It's actually fun for me too see that I have 10 reviews, but I haven't seen yours yet, so I know I have at least one more to look forward to.

Supergirrl: Well, I was being specific about SOME Zutara fans. I just saw a drabble that basically said Katara couldn't possibly be interested in Aang because she's a maturing young lady, and he's just a kid. I like Aang sweet and innocent, too, but I don't think a little innuendo is completely out of place.

Val-Creative: Thanks for the long, thoughtful reviews! I don't recall how much of my other stuff you've read, but I really love Sokka, so I do my best to keep him in character. If anything, I probably present him more favorably than he should be. Yes, he is silly sometimes, but he can also be clever and perceptive.


	4. Tale of Artemis Rae and Kairuthefrog

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender

Author's Note: Cool, 40 reviews already! I love you guys! A couple of people wanted to see the zoo scene, so this is kind of a combination of suggestions.

Tale of Artemis Rae and Kairuthefrog 

As promised, Aang took his friends to the new zoo site the following morning and gave them a tour. He was glad that he had spent a lot of time the day before returning the domestic animals he had accidentally included in the collection to their proper owners. This saved him the embarrassment of admitting that little error.

"Not bad," was Toph's only comment. That was as complimentary as she ever got, though, so he accepted it gratefully. She was quite a contrast as an instructor to Katara, who was always positive and encouraging, but he'd gotten used to it.

Katara, on the other hand, praised him effusively, and Aang basked in the glow of it, despite being well aware that she was, just possibly, a little biased. Katara also exclaimed over the unfamiliar animals and asked Aang to tell her what he knew about them.

After they'd seen everything, Sokka went off to find something to eat. A few food vendors had already had the foresight to set up their carts in the area. Oddly enough, the cabbage man they'd encountered before was one of these, though he picked up everything and moved every time he caught sight of the Avatar and his friends. While Sokka was gone, the zookeeper approached Aang.

"Avatar, I'm glad you're here," he greeted him. Aang briefly introduced the girls, and the zookeeper nodded. "I think the walls for the rabbiroos could be a little taller. I'm afraid they might be able to jump out."

"No problem," Aang replied, following the man over to the rabbiroos. He handed off his glider staff to Katara and took a moment to listen to the earth. Then, he raised the walls of the enclosure. When he was finished, he surveyed his work critically.

"Well, now no one can _see_ them," he observed. So, he built a ramp that wound up the side and a walkway circling most of the way around the top, including a barrier for safety, of course. Satisfied, he turned to the girls. Toph gave a quick nod of approval, but it was Katara that caught Aang's attention. Her eyes were wide and mouth slightly open as she stared at him, and she seemed to be a little flushed. Aang hoped she wasn't getting a fever.

Katara thrust the glider staff at Toph and strode purposefully over to Aang. Grasping him firmly by the shoulders, she pulled him into a forceful kiss. Aang's eyes widened in surprise before closing to enjoy the unexpected moment. He wrapped his arms around Katara, and she pressed close to him. When she broke away, Aang swayed unsteadily for a moment, trying to get his eyes to focus.

"What – what was that for?" he gasped. This whole thing was still a little new, but he'd never felt her so…hungry.

"I've just gained a new appreciation for earthbending," she replied, color rising to her cheeks. Aang had no idea what she meant by that, but he wasn't about to complain. He was just considering moving in again when his mouth was suddenly stuffed full of something sweet and flaky. He let go of Katara and stumbled backward.

"Try this; it's great," Sokka told him, glaring at him with narrowed eyes.

"Ease off, Sokka," Toph instructed, pulling the Water Tribe boy backward. "She started it." Aang tore the large chunk and chewed and swallowed the piece that was still in his mouth.

"This _is _good. What is it?" he remarked, taking another bite.

"They call it an elephant ear," Sokka answered. Aang choked. Sokka hit him sharply on the back, setting off a coughing fit, and he hastily added, "There are no actual animals involved. It's just fried dough with some sugar and cinnamon. It's just shaped like an elephant's ear, I guess."

"Think you've done enough damage yet?" Katara said, voice dripping with sarcasm as she rushed to Aang's side. Sokka rounded on her.

"Do _you_ really think it's appropriate for the Avatar to be part of such a display in public?" he challenged her.

"Oh, I see," Katara retorted acidly. "It's perfectly all right for you to play tonsil hockey with Suki, but I can't even kiss my boyfriend?"

_Boyfriend,_ Aang thought, recovering a normal breathing pattern. _Such a _nice _word._

"First of all, that wasn't in public," Sokka began, turning red but retaining most of his composure. He counted off his points on his fingers. "It was just you, Toph, and the refugee family. Secondly, I'm older than you. Finally, I don't know when I'm going to see Suki again. It was a goodbye thing. You and Aang see each other every day."

As Katara began sputtering, Aang could see there was a full-blown fight on the way and acted quickly to head it off. He pulled Katara aside just as Toph stepped between the siblings. She tossed Aang's staff back to him and stood ready in case the other two got out of line.

"Time out, guys," she growled at them. "Talk about making a scene."

"Yeah," Aang pleaded. "Let's just settle down. Maybe it's time to go home."

Amid some grumbling, everyone agreed, and Katara and Sokka had made up with each other before they even got back to their house. This left Aang with only one question.

"What's tonsil hockey?"

Author's note: Thanks, Kairuthefrog; that was a great idea, although I'm not confident I quite did it justice. It is interesting that Katara has been noticeably absent lately when Aang has been earthbending. And I made sure there was kissing just for kataang93, you voyeur you. I'm not sure on the proper spelling of rabbiroos, so I made a guess. I just had to include elephant ears, since they're my favorite carnival food.

Member of the Boomeraang Squad: charleegirl, Jesus.Lives, Liselle129

Review responses: In addition to those already mentioned, thank you to stuckatschool, Supergirrl, avatarkataang, Jesus.Lives, PetertheChameleon, Shiantor, and Tech-Man.

MormonMaiden: You scared your dog? The mention of the cabbage man was for you, and I'll give some thought to the Suki idea.

SnakeEyes16: Of course I look forward to your reviews! I get like that when people are faithful in reviewing. I hope this one warmed your cockles.

Val-Creative: No, it wasn't your imagination. I did sneak a little Tokka hint in there, though still basically one-sided.

Jett Greves: I'm glad I could help. I may have to check out your story.


	5. avatarkataang & Egglette

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender

Author's Note: Someone wanted Zuko/Jin, someone wanted Zuko/Song, so I decided to combine them. Therefore, this is the…

Tale of avatarkataang and Egglette 

Zuko brought Jin her free cup of tea the day after their dinner date. He didn't have any idea what to say to her, so he simply placed the cup on her table and began to turn. She tugged at his sleeve, keeping him there.

"Li, about last night," she began, a confused and worried expression in her brown eyes. "I'm sorry if I offended you. Maybe I was a little too forward…"

"It's not that," he said quickly, not wanting her to go on. Her kissing him _had _been rather unexpected, but it wasn't necessarily bad. In fact, he still didn't really know how to feel about it. "I just need some time to think about…things."

"Oh. Okay." She let him leave, now. Zuko wanted to tell her he was sorry for running out on her like that, but some remnant of his royal pride prevented him. He went back to the counter, where Uncle Iroh had been watching the exchange.

"So?" Iroh queried. "Will you two be going out again?"

"I don't know," Zuko answered shortly.

"You said it was nice."

"It was."

"But?" Iroh prompted. Zuko looked around quickly, saw that no one seemed to need anything for the moment, and gestured his uncle to follow him into the back.

"Mom told me to never forget who I am," Zuko began in a whisper. "Isn't that what I'm doing if I become friends with someone who can never know the real me? If I form attachments here, does it mean that I'm giving up on ever going home again, resigning myself to living a lie for the rest of my life?"

Iroh mulled this over for a while without saying anything. Zuko realized that he had presented a lot of questions, so the pause was understandable, but he eventually began to grow impatient. He peeked out the door into the main room of the tea house, noting that everything remained calm.

"Not necessarily," Iroh spoke at last. "It could simply mean that you are finally deciding to live, accepting your present circumstances."

"There's something else, too," Zuko said, nodding a little as he tried to accept this answer. "She kissed me."

"Yes? And?"

"I kissed her back, a little, but I stopped. I realized there was someone else I'd like to be doing that with."

"What? Who?"

Now it was Zuko's turn to pause for a moment, as his mind's eye filled with large, brown eyes and a pleasant smile.

"Song," he replied simply, closing his own eyes. He tightened his left hand into a fist, remembering the one time he had touched her, even though it was only to push her hand away. He was beginning to wish he hadn't stopped her.

"She was very nice, too," Iroh agreed. "And her mother was a charming woman and an excellent cook."

"I can't ever go back, though, can I?" He heard the plaintive note in his voice, and he hated it. Certainly, he had closed that door when he had stolen from her. Even now, he wasn't completely sure why he had done it.

"Hard to say," his uncle answered him honestly. "A lot could still happen in the next few months." Suddenly, their employer called to them, and they returned to work. It occurred to Zuko that perhaps it was time he learned to take life's moments as they came to him. With this in mind, he stopped Jin as she was leaving.

"I hope we can see each other again," he told her. She looked at him in surprise before a happy smile bloomed on her face.

"Of course," she said shyly. "I'll be back tomorrow."

Author's note: So, that pretty much leaves it open to interpretation. I think this is the last of this collection, but I'll leave it open just in case. Since I don't have much time to write these days, I've been thinking of uploading some of the Harry Potter fics I have on another site. I was wondering if my readers would be interested? As with Avatar, I tend to follow canon ships: Ron/Hermione and Harry/Ginny. If I decide to put them here, I don't want those of you who have me on Author Alert to be too surprised or disappointed to see it's not new Avatar stuff.

Member of the Boomeraang Squad: charleegirl, Jesus.Lives, Liselle129

Review responses: In addition to those already mentioned, thank you to Coeus, Rose Kiwi, Ari-Griffin, Sifu-KataraRose, Kairuthefrog, kataangfan22, Artemis Rae, Dakyu, Tech-Man, GodricGirl, TTAvatarfan, pokey, charleegirl, frozenheat, MormonMaiden, SnakeEyes16, pinguinolatino, and kataang93. Wow, there are a lot of you!

Aangsfan: I wasn't trying to say that he was stupid, merely innocent. I happen to like him that way.

Jesus.Lives: I was assuming they had talked about it, but I actually think he'd be elated either way. I'm drawing that from the Avatar pilot. There's a scene where Kaia (Katara) denies to Sokka that Aang is her boyfriend, and Aang looks rather downcast and disappointed. So, even though they obviously hadn't discussed it, he clearly would have been happy if she'd acknowledged him as her boyfriend.


	6. What Were You Thinking?

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender

Author's Note: Apparently, I'm officially a fangirl now. I bought a Sokka action figure today, though to be fair, I would have bought Katara if they'd had one.

So, there were all of 3 seconds of Kataang in "Lake Laogai," but I still managed to come up with a oneshot based on them. I sort of changed the rules on this collection to include it, but I'm the author. Besides, I figured this was short, and several people already have this story on chapter alert.

What Were You Thinking? 

As the group followed Jet to wherever this Lake Laogai place was, Aang pulled Sokka back a little from the others.

"I can't believe you said that," Aang hissed to him. His eyes were glinting dangerously. "That had to be your worst idea ever!"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Katara kissing Jet? I mean, all I have to do is _look_ at her for you to get all protective, and then you go and suggest –"

"Whoa, hey, relax," Sokka interrupted, holding his hands out in a placating gesture. "I knew she would never actually do it."

"Then why bring it up?" Aang's voice was rising in both pitch and volume, and Sokka rushed to try and calm him down.

"Look, I was just teasing her about the crush she used to have on Jet. It's a brother-sister thing." Sokka kept walking a few steps before he realized that Aang had frozen in his tracks. Sokka went back and tentatively took him by the elbow, guiding him along. Regardless of their conversation, it was imperative that they keep up. Aang didn't resist, allowing himself to be pulled along.

"She had a crush on him?" Aang asked in a faint voice.

"Well, yeah. Until she found out he was a deranged maniac. I'm pretty sure it all faded away then. You, uh, didn't notice?"

"No," Aang shook his head. He looked like he wanted to be sick. "That's why she was crying."

"She cried?" Sokka had missed that part of their first meeting with Jet. Aang nodded.

"I thought it was just because she was thinking of all those people that were going to be flooded."

"I'm sure that was part of it, as well as the fact that you and she had helped make it happen," Sokka said, but he winced as he saw Aang's stricken expression and understood that this was not the right thing to say at the moment. He went on quickly. "But it was probably mainly that he'd betrayed her trust. Anyway, it's probably just as well you didn't see it. Would you have done anything differently if you _had_ known?"

Aang frowned in thought as he pulled his arm away and began walking on his own.

"Probably not," he admitted, biting his lower lip. The willing self-sacrifice in his expression was actually painful to watch. "I mean, if she liked him…except I might not have been so ready to trust him."

Sokka was thinking that actually would have been a good thing, since at least one of them would have agreed with him, and they might have left sooner. However, he wisely kept this to himself.

"Anyway, it was nothing, believe me," he said instead.

"Well, I'll tell you one thing," Aang said, with new determination. "As soon as we get out of this horrible city, I'm going to make sure that Katara and I get some alone time." He skipped ahead of Sokka to join the rest of the group.

"That's ni--" Sokka began, but then he registered what Aang had just said. "Wait – what do you mean by that?" Aang just flashed a devilish grin over his shoulder and wiggled his eyebrows. Sokka, just beginning to realize the depth of the mistake he'd made, hurried to catch up with him and started babbling frantically while Aang steadfastly ignored him.

"Oh, come on, Aang, you know I didn't mean – it was a _joke_! I _do _that! Look, I'm really sorry I…oh _man_!"

_I've really got to start watching what I say, _Sokka thought ruefully.

--

Author's note: The "It was a joke. I do that" line was actually something the Genie said in Aladdin and the King of Thieves. I thought this would be fun, and I've always wanted to write something where Sokka said "oh, man" somewhere. You've read it, so review it!

Member of the Boomeraang Squad: charleegirl, Jesus.Lives, Liselle129

Thank you to MormonMaiden, Avatarwolf, A Mere Servant of God, Egglette, Tenniyo, Tech-Man, kataangfan22, Akama-Star…, avatarkataang, A Great and Terrible Beauty, Ron Weasly girl, and mental hospital escapee for reviewing Chapter 5.


	7. At the Printer's

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender

Author's Note: After writing the previous chapter, it occurred to me that Aang and Katara had been out and about by themselves at the beginning of Lake Laogai. What might have happened at the printer's? Obviously, this takes place before Chapter 6.

At the Printer's 

Aang and Katara were walking through the streets of Ba Sing Se's upper ring, supposedly to find a place to work on their waterbending. In reality, though, they were looking to spend a little time alone together and combat Aang's increasing restlessness.

"Hey, look!" Katara pointed over to one side of the street. "It's a printer. They could make posters to help us find Appa."

"But I thought Sokka was going to take care of that?" Aang wondered, even as he allowed Katara to pull him toward the shop.

"Well, I know he's just trying to help, but there's one big problem. Sokka can't draw to save his life. Besides, they can make a whole bunch of them fast."

"Are you sure we can afford it?"

"I'm not worried about that. I'd expect you to go to the same trouble if I was missing. Appa is one of the family, too."

"Don't even say that!" Aang said in a fierce whisper, grasping her hand in both of his. "I don't think I could live without you!" The very thought made him feel like he was falling through an endless void with no air to bend.

"Yes, you could," Katara answered quietly, not looking at him. "If you had to." Aang wasn't so sure. It was true that being without Appa made Aang feel as though part of him were missing, but Katara was his heart and soul. Even if he did live with her gone, he would be just an empty shell. He hoped he would never have to face that. Knowing that they were being constantly watched was the main thing keeping Aang from showing too much affection toward Katara while they were in the city. The last thing he wanted was the Dai Li doing something to Katara as a means of manipulating him. All of his companions were potential targets, of course, but if he tried to treat them all the same, each one had only a one in three chance of being singled out.

The pair went inside and spoke to the master printer, explaining what they needed. He brought over an artist, who began sketching as Aang described Appa in great detail. At last, the artist held up the finished drawing, and Aang felt a fresh wave of loss pass through him as he saw the image of his lost buddy.

"That's him," he managed to croak out. Katara understood what he was going through and wrapped an arm around him. He leaned gratefully into the comfort of her shoulder for a moment, then took a seat near the door and left Katara to handle the rest of the arrangements.

"What text would you like?" the printer asked her.

"Something simple. 'Help the Avatar find his bison.'" Katara also gave their address for anyone to contact them with information. She paused before going on. "Um, before we get any further with this, we should probably discuss the price."

"Oh, nonsense. I would be honored to offer assistance to the Avatar."

"That's not right," she insisted. "At least, let us pay you for the materials." Aang realized that she was probably suspicious that this was some kind of set-up. They couldn't trust anyone in this city, except each other. The drawing of Appa had already been sent to the back of the shop, where a specialized earthbender was carving a plate to look like the image.

After she finished settling accounts with the printer, Katara came to join Aang, twining her fingers with his.

"We'll find him," she assured him, but she couldn't hide the fact that she wasn't nearly as confident as she was trying to sound. However, Aang appreciated the effort and put a brave face on.

"Of course we will," he agreed. "I can feel him, not too far away. It's just frustrating to be so close…." Katara squeezed his hand in understanding.

They watched while the image plate was completed, set onto the printing press, and arranged with the word blocks. Then, the workers painted ink all over the press and brought it down onto a piece of parchment. The printer brought the sheet over for their approval.

"It's perfect," Katara said, and the technicians went to work making more. "This could take a couple of hours. Why don't we go walk around some more?"

Aang agreed, and they set off again.

"There's got to be somewhere to waterbend around here!" she exclaimed, and Aang realized that he was not the only one who was getting cabin fever.

"Now who's restless?" he joked. She smiled back but said nothing. Eventually, they found an artificial pond and began practicing, though to be honest, Aang spent most of his time simply watching Katara move. By the time they went back to get the fliers, Aang's enthusiasm and optimism had returned, and he couldn't wait to begin distributing them.

--

Author's note: Sorry not much humor or fluffiness. I figured they had to have a specialized earthbender to make the fliers that fast because the original printing presses required hand-carving wooden blocks, which would have taken days. The printer probably would have had the text symbols already available.

Member of the Boomeraang Squad: charleegirl, Jesus.Lives, Liselle129

Thank you to frozenheat, Azada, Jesus.Lives, Aangsfan, kataang93, Kumori Doragon, pokey, MormonMaiden, Dakyu, Tech-Man, kataangfan22, avatarkataang (they do have Zuko action figures, not sure why no Katara), A Great and Terrible Beauty, and Livexthexmagic for reviewing Chapter 6.


	8. Just a Little Bit

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or the song "A Little Bit in Love." It's from the musical Wonderful Town by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green (hope I spelled those right).

Author's Note: Simply a brief missing scene from the group's time in Ba Sing Se. And whoa, what a season finale, eh? More about that at the end.

Just a Little Bit 

_Mm-mm, I'm a little bit in love,_

_Never felt this way before._

_Mm-mm, just a little bit in love,_

_Or perhaps, a little bit more._

Katara sat on a cushion in the main room of their house in Ba Sing Se. Aang was meditating across the room. Katara had shooed Sokka and Toph out of the house because they were simply incapable of being quiet. She knew that Aang had found it hard to meditate lately, between the lack of silence in the house and the distractions of Appa's continuing absence and the omnipresence of the Dai Li.

Katara, however, had remained, seating herself quietly across from Aang. Partly, she wanted to make sure he had no interruptions, but she was also taking advantage of the opportunity to watch him without being observed.

Her eyes traced the blue arrow on his forehead, moving down to the arched eyebrows and lingering with some sadness on the new crease that had formed between them. Katara resisted the urge to sigh, keeping her breathing soft and even.

At least Aang was more himself now, but Katara couldn't help thinking about all the things that must be weighing on him: the burden he carried, the loss of his oldest companion, his fears of hurting people when the Avatar State overcame him. Watching him, Katara felt a strong tug of something new. It had started growing inside while they crossed Serpent's Pass. No, that wasn't quite right. That was when she began noticing the feeling, but it had actually begun to form long before. It had been so slow and gradual that she found she couldn't pinpoint its true origin.

Katara puzzled over this for a while. She had loved Aang almost since finding him, in the same way that she loved Sokka or Gran-Gran. Now, though, something was different. He had an effect on her that no one else ever had.

_When he looks at me,_

_Everything's hazy and all out of focus._

_When he touches me,_

_I'm in the spell of a strange hocus-pocus._

Katara's eyes moved further to take in the familiar lines of the cheekbones, nose, and finally the mouth and jaw. Suddenly, the angle of the mouth shifted, and Katara raised her gaze to find that Aang's eyes had opened. As they focused and met hers, she felt oddly lightheaded. Aang gave her a small smile, and Katara managed to smile back, despite her disorientation.

"Have you been here the whole time?" he asked quietly. "It must have been kind of boring."

"Yes, I have," she answered the question, choosing not to address the other part of his comment. "I was just wondering why waterbenders and earthbenders don't seem to meditate, only airbenders and firebenders."

"That's a good question," he agreed. "Firebenders need to meditate because calmness of mind is necessary for control of their element. I don't know that airbenders really _needed_ to; it was just part of our culture. You know, like how we sort of separated ourselves from the rest of the world. In hindsight, that might not have been the best idea."

"I'm sorry," Katara apologized, mortified at the sadness in his voice and face. "I didn't mean to remind you--"

"It's okay. Most of the things I do remind me of them. They're all still part of me, you know," he paused, looking at her seriously. "Just like your mother is still a part of you."

Katara was silent for a while. She felt a little guilty about how obsessive she could get about the loss of her mother when it couldn't even compare to the level of Aang's loss. She wondered how he kept on going sometimes. Finally, she decided they both needed a diversion.

"Would you like to take a walk?" she asked.

"Sure." Aang airlifted himself to his feet and came over to offer Katara a hand before she had a chance to make a move. From anyone else, she might have been offended by the gesture, but from him it was…different somehow. She smiled and put her hand in his, starting slightly as a small thrill went through her at the contact.

_It's so…I don't know._

_I'm so…I don't know._

_I don't know, but I know,_

_If it's love, then it's lovely._

Their eyes met, and Katara could tell that Aang had felt something, too. She allowed him to pull her to her feet, and neither of them seemed inclined to let go. Aang cleared his throat.

"So, where would you like to go?" he asked, looking at their joined hands as though they combined to form a puzzle he was trying to figure out.

"I don't know. Let's just walk." Katara had to let go of him to scribble a quick note for Sokka, but she hesitantly took Aang's hand again as they went out the door.

For her part, Katara's own feelings were the puzzle she was working on. She felt strangely giddy, and she wondered if this was what it was like to be in love. She'd heard about it, of course, but no one had ever really explained how it felt. All she _did _know was that looking at Aang, seeing him smile shyly at her, made a warm feeling start in her stomach and spread to every part of her body.

She smiled back, and strolling aimlessly down the city streets, hand in hand with the Avatar who might also be her true love, she decided that this was at least a good beginning. Maybe she didn't need to understand everything right away. Maybe this shared moment was enough, at least for now.

_Mm-mm, it's so nice to be alive_

_When you meet someone who bewitches you._

_Will he be my all?_

_Or did I just fall a little bit,_

_A little bit in love?_

--

Author's note: I heard the song recently, which I have long loved, and thought it would make a cute Kataang piece. So, about the finale, I think a lot of people are misunderstanding Aang's giving up of Katara. In a way, I think that makes her more his than ever. There's an old saying that if you love something, you should let it go. If it doesn't come back, it was never yours, but if it returns, cherish it forever. Remember that he still loves her – he needed that to open the fourth Chakra. Of course, it could also be interpreted that he hadn't quite completed the "letting go" when he was struck. Anyway, the opening of the Chakras was less about getting rid of your emotions than accepting them and not letting them hold you back. I'm thinking of exploring this in another oneshot soon.

Member of the Boomeraang Squad: charleegirl, Jesus.Lives, Liselle129

Thank you to kataangfan22, MormonMaiden, Tech-Man, Piezo (I have a possible Tokka idea, but I'm still working on it), frozenheat, pokey, kataang93, SnakeEyes16, and Mcwheeler12 for reviewing Chapter 7.


	9. Ah, Poetry

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: I've been begged to do a Tokka one forever, and this idea has been rolling around in my head for a while, trying to take shape. This one fits in between Chapters 3 and 4. It's what Sokka and Toph were doing while Aang and Katara were making out. You might want to re-read that chapter to remind yourself what was going on.

Ah, Poetry! 

"Mind if I come in?" Toph asked Sokka, standing in the doorway to his room.

"Why not? Misery loves company, right?"

"You think I enjoy being around those two any more than you do when they get like that?" she challenged, entering and standing beside the bed, on which Sokka was sprawled.

"I don't know. I guess I never really thought about it."

"Of course, leaving the room doesn't really help that much in my case," Toph admitted. "I can still feel everything going on in the house, and some distance around it."

"Oh," Sokka commented. "That's kind of a downside to your abilities, huh?"

"Yeah," Toph paused, sensing. "They've gone outside now." She hesitated again, picking up the vibrations of Aang and Katara's actions. "Um, Sokka, whatever you do, don't look out your window."

"I don't have a window," he informed her, sounding confused.

"Oh, good. No worries then. I don't pay much attention to things like that."

"Hold on. Why shouldn't I look? What are they doing?" Sokka was beginning to sound agitated. He stood up and took a step toward the door. Toph grabbed his arm.

"Didn't I tell you not to look?" she reminded him. "Didn't you leave so that you _wouldn't_ have to see anything?" Sokka stopped, and she suspected he was looking at her.

"I suppose you're right," he admitted in defeat. He threw himself back on the bed.

"Do you mind if I join you there?" Toph asked, trying not to let her face heat up as much as it wanted to. "If I put some distance between me and the ground, it sort of dulls the vibrations."

"Sure, no problem," Sokka said as he shifted to give her some room. Toph climbed up and seated herself gingerly at the foot of the bed, trying not to think about the shape of his body that she could detect through the impression on the mattress.

"So, what are you doing?" she asked.

"Oh, I just pulled some things off the shelf of the library that came with the house. Not much of interest, I'm afraid."

"Could you read something to me?"

"You want me to read you love poetry?" he wondered disbelievingly. Toph cursed her heart for actually speeding up at the suggestion. It's not like he would mean anything by it. She was infinitely grateful that he couldn't pick up on pulse and breathing rates like she could.

"Well, if that's all there is," she replied, proud of the indifference in her voice. "It's not like I have anything better to do."

Sokka obligingly spent the next half hour reading to Toph, and since she couldn't see his face, she was able to pretend that he was actually directing the poems to her. She knew it was foolishness, but she would take these moments where she could get them.

--

Author's note: Wow, two updates in one day! Can you tell I just finished my last exam? Well, I technically still have to finish the take-home portion of one, but it's almost done, so I decided to take a break. Anyway, now that I don't have homework, expect more frequent updates from me. Next up in this set: Maiko. Oh, these could also be seen as a birthday present from me to my readers. I turned 32 last weekend, and I'm not afraid to admit it!:)

Member of the Boomeraang Squad: charleegirl, Jesus.Lives, Liselle129

Thank you to frozenheat, Tech-Man, IGAF-kun, A Great and Terrible Beauty, Livexthexmagic, AvatarJunkie, GreEn-eYeS119, and Kumori Doragon for reviewing Chapter 8.

Jesus.Lives: Yes, Katara loves him! I totally believe that.

kataang93: Yeah, it would be great to have Season 3 open with a confession scene, possibly much like the one I wrote in Enlightenment. Unfortunately, it won't, because this is television and they're going to make us suffer a little more. We'll be lucky if it happens in the first six episodes.

MyOtherName: You gave a really long review, but I think I've sort of already responded to everything, so I just wanted to say that I'm sorry to hear about your potential grounding. I'm glad you've still been able to read my stuff (thanks for the long review for Destiny's Call, more on that later).

Piezo: Well, here's your Tokka at last. Sorry it's so short and one-sided, but that's all I got. As for a Tokka C2 name, how about "Dual Sarcasm"? "Loudmouths United?" "Earth Girl and Boomerang Guy?" Yeah, okay, those all stink, but I'm just coming out of exam week, so cut me some slack!

MormonMaiden: Never doubt the Kataang! We shall take over the world! Can you tell I'm a little slap-happy?

SnakeEyes16: I think that "building a moment" is one of my gifts, and I'm so glad there are people like you out there that I can share them with! And I love applying music to life, so there you are.


	10. Small Talk

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: My first real attempt at Zuko/Mai, though it isn't particularly romantic. Now that they are in the same place in the series, it is likely that we will at least see them interact, so I'm trying to figure out how that might go. With both of them, what they don't say is at least as important as what they say, so it makes for interesting dialogue writing.

Small Talk 

Zuko sat on the steps outside the top level of the Earth King's palace in Ba Sing Se. Technically, he supposed it was Azula's palace now. She might claim it was their father's, but who was sitting on the throne and issuing orders, even to Zuko? Not that the last part was anything new.

It was funny, really. All the time that Zuko and Iroh had been on the run, Zuko had hated sleeping on the ground and had longed for the luxury of a palace like this one. Now that he had it, though, he found it stifling and preferred to be outside. Of course, it might have been the presence of Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai inside that chased him out.

_Or maybe it's your conscience that won't allow you to enjoy what you have._ This inner whisper was bothering him a lot lately, and it didn't help that it spoke in his uncle's voice. Zuko felt more conflicted since he had joined Azula than he ever had.

_I just want my father and my throne back,_ he returned, repeating the phrase that had become his mantra.

_And what makes you think Azula is the best way to do that?_

_She said…_

_Forget what she said. When have you ever known her to be truthful?_

_Well, never._

_Has she ever seemed inclined to share anything with you? Power? Parental affection? Toys, even?_

_Actually, no, but that was a long time ago._

_Why do you think she will share dominion with you now? _the voice pressed on inexorably. _She will cast you aside as soon as you are no longer useful to her. Just like Father did. _Zuko balled his fists helplessly.

_Shut up! You're confusing me!_

_You were already confused. I'm trying to make you see things more clearly._

Zuko quieted the conversation inside and tried to back up and view his situation objectively. He had chosen to fight with his sister against the Avatar, and the Avatar was now out of reach, if not actually dead. He supposed he might never know, as the Avatar's friends would have taken him far away in either case. His uncle was somewhere in the dungeons below him. At least, that's what he assumed. Zuko was too afraid to ask if Iroh was still alive.

_I've made my choice, _he stubbornly told the voice. _I have to live with it now._

_It's never too late to change, _it whispered as it faded away.

"What are you doing out here?" Mai asked, coming from the building to sit beside Zuko.

"Thinking," he replied shortly. Zuko knew better than to express the depths of his inner turmoil with a friend of Azula's.

"You seem to do that a lot."

"Yes." There was a silence which, much to Zuko's surprise, didn't feel particularly awkward. He turned to look at her. "How did you and Ty Lee end up working with Azula?"

"Ty Lee's afraid of her," Mai shrugged. "I was just bored. My dad became the governor of Omashu, which is now New Ozai."

Zuko couldn't help it; he made a face when he heard that. Mai's mouth actually quirked up a little in response.

"Yeah, it's kind of a stupid name," she agreed with his unspoken opinion. "Your sister picked it. I don't know if she was sucking up to your dad or just trying to remind people of the Fire Nation's influence in the area. Anyway, life was excruciatingly dull there, and my parents spent all their time paying attention to my little brother."

"You have a brother?" Zuko was surprised. He'd also nearly caught himself smiling at Mai's refreshing bluntness.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot you wouldn't know about him. His name is Tom-Tom, and he's two years old."

"Wow. Accident?"

"I don't like to think about it," she shuddered, and Zuko nodded his understanding. After another long pause, he spoke again.

"What do you want?" he asked Mai.

"What?" she seemed startled by the question.

"What do you want out of life?" he clarified. Mai mulled it over.

"I don't know. Excitement?"

"Has it been exciting with Azula?"

"Fighting the Avatar's friends had its moments. It's mostly been pretty dull, though," she admitted. After a moment, Mai stood and appeared to be preparing to leave Zuko to his own devices again. She half turned back to him, though, and without looking at him, added, "I don't know if it matters, but I'm glad you're here."

Having said that, she fled quickly up the steps and left Zuko to ponder what in the world she might have meant by that.

--

Author's note: Yeah, Zuko's clueless. It really bothered me that Zuko turned to help his sister so quickly, especially knowing that she lies and that she's never been inclined to share anything, especially power, so I thought he should deal with some of those things. It's occurred to me that this could lead into a series of one-shots featuring this couple, but I don't know if I want to open that can of worms or not.

Member of the Boomeraang Squad: charleegirl, Jesus.Lives, Liselle129 (who are all apparently warming to Tokka), plus honorary member SnakeEyes16 (because he asked)

Thank you to Jesus.Lives, Tech-Man, charleegirl, IGAF-kun, moira2, and GreEn-eYeS119, for reviewing Chapter 9.

A Great and Terrible Beauty: Look at the bright side – it gives us lots of time to write fanfiction before a new episode comes along to contradict it!

Piezo: Glad you liked it! And I'm glad at least one of my suggestions wasn't completely awful.

MormonMaiden: I find that I can tolerate any ship that doesn't conflict with Kataang. Can you explain to me why Sukka is called George?

Dakyu: That's possible, but I thought the way I wrote it fit into the context of Chapters 2 and 3. Besides, I can only write what the muse chooses to send my way!

SnakeEyes16: You do get a break for Christmas, don't you? I found college to be a great time of life (the first time around, that is; the classes I'm taking now are mostly a chore). Yeah, I wonder what happened to Suki, too, and I wonder why Sokka didn't ask about her.


	11. Tale of MormonMaiden

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or the song "Many A New Day" from the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical Oklahoma.

Author's Note: This is about Suki's feelings about leaving Sokka and her warriors' reactions to her story. This song seemed to fit Suki, though it is fraught with irony because the song lyrics are the things she's trying to tell herself, while the text is what's actually happening. Then again, that's kind of the way the song is used in the musical, too. MormonMaiden requested something along these lines ages ago, so I've named the chapter for her.

_It's true, wherever you find love, it feels like Christmas._

--The Ghost of Christmas Present, The Muppet Christmas Carol

The Tale of MormonMaiden 

_Why should a woman who is healthy and strong  
Blubber like a baby if her man goes away?  
Weepin' and a-wailin' how he's done her wrong?  
That's one thing you'll never hear me say._

Suki had never felt so lonely in her life. As she made the trek alone that she had recently shared with a group of fellow travelers, she reflected on the boy – no, young man – who had just dropped into her life for the second time.

It was ludicrous for her to feel this way. She had only known Sokka for a few days back on Kyoshi Island. She had assumed that she would quickly forget about him. After all, there was nothing really remarkable about him, unless you counted the fact that he traveled with the Avatar.

If anything distinguished Sokka, it was that he was arrogant, chauvinistic, and sarcastic. And yet…he had humbled himself before Suki and the other warriors in a way that few men would have. His drive to better himself was more powerful than his pride, a trait that Suki had to admit she found admirable. Even his unique sense of humor had grown on her.

_Never gonna think that the man I lose  
Is the only man among men.  
I'll snap my fingers to show I don't care;  
I'll buy me a brand-new dress to wear.  
I'll scrub my neck, and I'll brush my hair  
And start all over again._

Life should have returned to normal on the island after that, Suki supposed, but it hadn't. The attack of the Fire Nation on their shores made the idea of neutrality seem less realistic. The soldiers had only been after the Avatar, but they had nearly destroyed her whole village. That experience had changed the outlook of many islanders, even if they seldom said so aloud.

Suki had become increasingly restless, and if her gaze frequently strayed to the skies in search of a flying bison, well, nobody mentioned it. Eventually, she convinced her warriors that they should go and help the Earth Kingdom somehow. The prospect of travel and adventure gave her something new to focus on, and she hoped that fresh experiences would take her mind off of the Water Tribe warrior who refused to leave her thoughts.

It worked, for a while. Then, they reached the outskirts of Ba Sing Se, and her new role as a guard provided Suki with long hours to think and watch the sky. She lost track as the weeks rolled out behind her.

_Many a new face will please my eye;  
Many a new love will find me.  
Never have I once looked back to sigh  
Over the romance behind me.  
Many a new day will dawn before I do._

It had been such a surprise to see Sokka and the others getting tickets for the ferry. Suki was glad she had been able to travel with them, if only for a short time. She tried not to be sad about their parting again. His duty was to the Avatar, and hers was to her warriors. She needed to look forward now.

Finally, Suki reached the permanent encampment where her warriors awaited her. They all wanted to know how her trip with the Avatar was.

"And Sokka," more than one of them added, with significant looks and the occasional giggle. The warriors of Kyoshi were not, as a rule, inclined to such silliness as giggling, but they were still girls, and talk of boys could bring out the girlishness in them like nothing else. Suki smiled faintly as she considered how much to tell them. Part of her wanted to keep things private, but she quickly realized that she needed to talk about it, so she ended up spilling nearly everything, although she downplayed both the danger and the romance as much as she could.

_Many a light lad may kiss and fly;  
A kiss gone by is bygone.  
Never have I asked an August sky,  
"Where has last July gone?"_

"He _kissed_ you?" Miko asked eagerly. "How was it?"

"Are you going to see him again?" That was Toki. Suki answered the questions in order.

"Yes, he kissed me, it was very nice, and I don't know." Actually, "very nice" didn't begin to cover it, but that was one of those things that were really none of their business. In fact, the mere memory of those kisses made her tingle all the way down to her toes.

"You mean, you didn't, I don't know, make any plans or anything?" Kishi put in.

"We're in the middle of a war," Suki reminded her and the others. "His first priority is to help the Avatar. Everything else is secondary. Besides, it was just a kiss." If only she could convince herself of that.

_Never have I wandered through the rye,  
Wondering where has some guy gone.  
Many a new day will dawn before I do._

Suki shooed the warriors out of her cabin a short time later, but Miko hung back.

"Just a kiss, huh?" she challenged Suki in a quiet voice.

"That's all it can be, for now," Suki answered with a sigh, letting her guard down a little. Miko was her closest friend.

"So you do hope for more, eventually?"

"I don't know," Suki shrugged this off. "If we both get through this thing alive, there'll be time to think about that. If it's meant to be, we'll find each other again."

"Since when do you believe in destiny?" Miko inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"Since I met the Avatar."

"And his friends," Miko suggested, putting special emphasis on the last word. Suki sighed, silently hoping they were all still all right.

_Never have I chased the honeybee,  
Who carelessly cajoled me.  
Somebody else just as sweet as he  
Cheered me and consoled me._

"Anyway, you know me," Suki chose to ignore Miko's last remark. "I'm not one to dwell on the past. I might find somebody new tomorrow. There are plenty of men around here."

"Yeah, and a lot of them look at you, but I've never seen you look at any of them. Not once."

Suki grimaced. Miko always had been able to read her extremely well, maybe a little _too_ well. Still, she didn't answer. What could she say? The accusation was true. Suki hadn't really been able to think of another man since she had met Sokka several months ago.

"Admit it," Miko pressed, although her tone was gentle. "You're sweet on that guy."

"If you don't mind, I'm tired," Suki responded pointedly. "I'd like to rest." Miko obeyed the implied request but gave her a searching look as she withdrew.

_Never have I wept into my tea  
Over the deal someone doled me.  
Many a new day will dawn,  
Many a red sun will set,  
Many a blue moon will shine before I do._

Finally, Suki was alone again, and she collapsed onto her mattress. Maybe she shouldn't have gone with the Avatar. Kyoshi knew she hadn't been much help. The three benders had done most of the work, and Sokka had even had to save Suki from a rockslide, nearly getting himself crushed instead.

More than all that, though, was the fact that Suki had discovered what it was she was missing before she let it go. Before, her thoughts of Sokka had been mostly conjecture and fantasy. Now, she knew exactly what it was like to have the warmth and firmness of his body pressed against her and the feel of his mouth on hers…unbidden, the tears began to flow. Tomorrow, she would be strong. Tomorrow, she would begin again. But for tonight, she allowed herself a measure of private weakness and wept bitterly. She continued to cry long after she had forgotten the reason, at last falling into an exhausted sleep.

--

Author's note: Wow, I think this is the longest fic in this collection. I didn't get as many reviews for the last chapter, and I'm not sure whether people are busy for the holiday season, or a lot of my fans just don't like Maiko. Hey, it's me writing, give it a chance! I did get two votes to do more Maiko, and a couple of others that might have been implying that. Oh well, everybody loves Suki, right? Merry Christmas, everyone!

Member of the Boomeraang Squad: charleegirl, Jesus.Lives, Liselle129, and honorary member SnakeEyes16 (hey, charleegirl, now we have a member closer to your age)

Thank you to Jesus.Lives, Tech-Man, and IGAF-kun, for reviewing Chapter 10.

Livexthexmagic: Thanks for the birthday wish, it's okay that it was late.

Piezo: Thank you; I'm glad you agreed with me. Personally, Azula telling Zuko she needed him would have been a red flag for me. Like she would ever actually admit that!

MormonMaiden: So, this one was for you. Thanks for explaining the George thing.

Dakyu: Well, I already wrote you a long note, but I didn't get what the whole spiritual crisis deal was about if it wasn't going to change Zuko's choices.shrugs back

Durins Bane: It's an old but true saying that you can't con a conner, and Azula is the best. Besides, Zuko has not shown himself to be particularly good at either lying or acting, so there is no way he could fool her. So I guess that leaves us with your first option – he's stupid.

SnakeEyes16: Yes, it's tricky but fun to write Maiko. It seems unlikely that the creators and writers would throw those hints in early in the season and then just leave it, so I'm guessing we'll see some development eventually.

GrEeN-eYes119: I thought your review was quite funny, but my husband thought you should re-write the bored part. Sorry this isn't a Tokka or Kataang, but this is the idea that came to me. I have a ton of Kataang stuff out there already, and I have trouble getting inspiration for Tokka, especially that would fit into the parameters of this little collection.

Magawa: I'm always glad to welcome a new fan, though I am particularly wondering why you chose to review Chapter 7. Was that as far as you'd read? I hope you're caught up now.


	12. Who's the Captive?

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: This is kind of a sequel to Chapter 10, though it can also stand alone.

Who's the Captive? 

Mai was lounging in the throne room of the Earth King's former palace, cleaning under her fingernails with a throwing knife. Life seemed to get more tedious by the hour, but at least that stupid bear was gone. Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck her out of the blue.

"Hey, Ty Lee," she said, straightening her posture. "Do you know where Zuko is?"

"Probably in his room," Ty Lee answered. "Why?" Mai ignored both the question and the other girl's teasing expression as she left the room.

It took a long time to reach the quarters Zuko had selected for his own. Instead of choosing one of the more luxurious rooms closer to the throne room, he'd gone to one of the more distant guest suites. Mai had the strangest feeling that he'd been tempted to go as far the servant's wing, though she had no basis for this. Was he trying to get as far away from his sister as possible? Or from her? She shook off such paranoid thoughts as she knocked on the door, trying not to sound as timid as she felt.

"Come in," the familiar voice invited from inside. Mai was surprised that Zuko hadn't even inquired who it was. She pushed open the door. Zuko was reclined on a sofa, reading something. He looked up as Mai entered, and it was clear she was not who he was expecting.

"What are you doing?" she asked, suddenly realizing that she had no idea how to broach her intended topic.

"I was never much for reading back home," he mused instead of answering directly. "I'm finding it interesting now, though. I guess all that time without books helped me realize how valuable they can be."

"I always preferred action to words," Mai replied. She shifted awkwardly from foot to foot. Zuko seemed to be patiently awaiting the reason for her unannounced visit.

"Would you like to sit down?" he offered belatedly. She took a chair across from him.

"Thanks." Silence fell again. Without any further preamble, she blurted, "Would you like to see your uncle?"

"You know where he's being held?" Zuko's eyes shot up to meet hers, intense but guarded. Mai found herself slightly hurt that he didn't trust her, although, looking at matters objectively, she couldn't really blame him. She nodded in response, and his eyes narrowed. "This isn't some kind of trick, is it? A test of my loyalty?" he practically spat the words.

"I'm not Azula's flunky," Mai snapped, putting her defenses carefully back into place. She stood up to leave. "I just thought you might like to visit him."

"Wait," Zuko's voice was quiet and managed to be somehow commanding and apologetic at the same time. She stopped halfway through her turn and looked back at him, wishing her heart would return to a normal beating pattern. He came close to her, which didn't help her composure at all, and looked around furtively before speaking very softly. She didn't blame him for this, either; she knew as well as anyone how many Dai Li were likely to be lurking about.

"I would like to see him," he admitted. "I just…don't know where I am anymore." The gaze he directed at her now was probably the most open she'd seen from him since he was about ten. He did indeed look lost, and pity began to melt her insides, along with something else she wasn't in a mood to explore.

"Let's go," Mai said, barely stopping herself from taking Zuko's hand as she led the way to the dungeons. Once there, Zuko told her she didn't have to stay, but she wanted to, partly because it gave her an opportunity to observe his profile while he was occupied and wouldn't notice. Mai withdrew a certain distance to give them some measure of privacy, though she caught words here and there. Iroh was secured at the back of his earthen cell with stone bindings on hands and feet, which made discreet communication with the doorway nearly impossible.

Zuko's left side happened to be facing her, and she took the opportunity to study the angry, red scar. It had been such a surprise to see him with it a few days ago. Mai had heard about the incident, of course, but she hadn't been there, and that was the first time she'd seen him since his exile. Personally, she felt that the scar loaned Zuko a certain amount of character. He didn't look like a pampered prince but a man who had really lived.

In Mai's opinion, banishment had been good to Zuko, or maybe he would have turned out much this way anyway. He had gained considerably in musculature, although the loose Earth Kingdom clothes tended to hide it, and his noble features were sharper and more masculine than she remembered.

Finally, Zuko was ready to leave, and Mai walked with him back to the residential portion of the palace. From what she had caught of the conversation, she gathered that Zuko's primary reason for joining Azula was to gain his father's favor. Mai couldn't really understand this, as she had never desired or sought her parents' approval, but she supposed she could accept it. Maybe it was a guy thing. Ty Lee had certainly not shown much concern for her folks when she'd run off to join the circus, and Azula…she would kiss up to her father when it suited her, but Mai suspected it was all show.

"Thank you," Zuko said shortly to Mai, and he actually took her hand and pressed it briefly, much to her surprise. The words contained a note of dismissal, however, and he turned to walk alone down the hallway. Gazing after him, and thinking about the situations of Zuko, Iroh, Azula, Ty Lee, and even Mai herself, she wondered who the real prisoners were.

--

Author's note: Prisons can be made out of many things. I do have another thought or two to continue this Maiko series.

Member of the Boomeraang Squad: charleegirl, Jesus.Lives, Liselle129, and honorary member SnakeEyes16

Thank you to IGAF-kun, Aangsfan, and Kumori Doragon for reviewing Chapter 11.

Piezo: Yeah, both Suki and Sokka have interesting dichotomies of character, which is why I actually think they make a pretty good pair.

Tech-Man: Here's more Maiko for you! I have a plan for at least one more, but I'm not sure how much of a saga I want to get into.

MormonMaiden: That's great that there's the extra bonus of you having been in Oklahoma. I've seen it many times, and I always wanted to be Ado Annie, though I'm getting pretty long in the tooth for those kinds of roles now.

Durins Bane: Yes, that chapter was during and right after Suki's return from accompanying the Gaang through Serpent's Pass, so there's no canon conflict. Suki's fate was left open, but I really hope she's not dead, because I have to think that Sokka wouldn't be willing to get romantically involved with anyone ever again. He just loses them, so all other ships with him would be just as dead.

SnakeEyes16: Full membership shall be conferred when you write something. In the meantime, you retain honorary status (since the other members haven't objected), and you are not a useless lump. Your reviews help to keep me writing. Like an actor, what is a writer without a responsive audience? Sorry this isn't a songfic. I've had a couple of fleeting ideas for more of those, but nothing has really coalesced yet.

GrEeN-eYes119: I do find it funny that I seem to be able to convert people to any ship I write about. While I appreciate your praise, I don't think I could write any ship I didn't believe in, or that I couldn't at least find some canon support for. I find it hard to imagine that I could manage a realistic Zutara, for example. I agree that George doesn't get enough love, but neither does Soko.

Magawa: I don't know whether this ship will actually happen or not, but I think the series at least needs to deal with Mai's side of it, since it's been set up. As I've said before, I'm willing to play with just about any ship that doesn't contradict Kataang.

frozenheat: Well, lately, _all_ the alerts have been down. Here's another Maiko to add to my collection, and I hope you liked it as well as the first.


	13. Tale of Kumori Doragon

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: This follows Chapter 6, and it takes place in between Lake Laogai and The Earth King. Named for the person who wanted to see the "alone time" referenced in that story. Sorry it took so long!

Tale of Kumori Doragon 

After riding triumphantly out of Ba Sing Se, once again seated comfortably on Appa's head, Aang landed their group on a tiny island a short distance away. There was the slight problem that the bison had lost his saddle somewhere along his journey, but the only one who really seemed to take issue with this was Toph.

"So, what do we do now?" Katara asked the group at large, though she seemed to be mostly directing the question to Aang. He looked around at his little family, all together again at last, and rested his eyes finally on Sokka.

"Before we do anything else, I have something to follow through on," he said firmly. "Katara, I sort of promised myself that I would spend some time alone with you once we got out of the city, but it's really up to you. Do you want to?"

Before Katara could even respond, Sokka jumped in.

"What?" he yelled. "I'd decided you were joking! I won't let you go off with my sister!" Aang shifted his gaze to Katara, who was looking a little irritated that her brother was answering for her. Her eyes narrowed, and Aang grinned, gaining confidence.

"How will you stop us?" he challenged impudently. "We can fly away either on Appa or my glider."

"I'd love to spend some time with you," Katara said, pointedly ignoring her brother, who was trying to protest again.

"Oh, let them go," Toph advised Sokka. "You'll just upset yourself, and they'll leave anyway."

"Okay, fine," Sokka gave in, dropping to the ground in defeat.

"I don't really want to leave Appa again so soon," mused Aang. "Do you mind if we take him, Katara?"

"Not at all."

"You're just going to leave us stranded here?" Sokka's tone was disbelieving.

"We won't be gone long," Aang assured him. "You okay with that, Toph."

"Hey, as long as it's made of rock, I'm fine," she waved them off, so Aang and Katara climbed onto Appa's head and flew off. They didn't go far, only to a cliff on another island nearby.

"So, what's this all about?" Katara wanted to know once they had landed and dismounted.

"It's kind of a long story, but I basically wanted to get back at Sokka for suggesting that you kiss Jet," Aang admitted. Saying it out loud made the whole thing seem a little petty, especially after what had happened to Jet, but he couldn't honestly say he was sorry about being here with her now.

"Not that I don't really want to spend time with you," he added hurriedly. "Thanks for going along."

"No problem," Katara shrugged as they sat down together. She breathed in deeply, taking in the fresh ocean air. "The view is beautiful."

"Yeah, it is," he replied, except that he was looking at her.

"What are we supposed to do?"

"We don't actually have to _do_ anything," Aang answered, blushing slightly. "I just want to make Sokka sweat a little."

"Oh." Katara paused. "You know he was just kidding, right? I don't think he would like to see me kissing Jet any more than you would."

"Yeah, that's what he said," admitted Aang, staring straight ahead. "Still, it felt like Sokka was…I don't know, almost selling you off or something. I didn't like it."

_Plus I don't want you kissing anyone but me,_ he added silently. Katara was quiet for so long that Aang began to worry that he had offended her. Then, he felt her hand on his shoulder.

"That's so sweet," she said softly. He turned his head toward her, and she began leaning in. Aang was expecting another kiss on the cheek, like she'd given him before. Much to his surprise, however, she pressed her lips gently on his mouth instead. He was completely stunned. Katara drew back, observing his reaction with a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

"Do you want to go back now?" he asked. It was the only thing he could think of to say.

"Oh, I think we could stay a _little_ longer," decided Katara, snuggling against his side and resting her head on his shoulder. Aang took the hint and put his arm around her. Yes, they could definitely spare a few more minutes.

--

Author's note: Yeah, I couldn't resist adding in a little fluff after the last few chapters were kind of bereft.

I have also decided to start a new collection of songfics, all using songs from The Music Man. There are just so many great lyrics there! I'm going to start with "Good Night, My Someone," and I know what I'm going to do for it, but if anyone else is familiar with the show, be thinking about any ideas I could use. Once I publish the first one, I will offer the opportunity for readers to contribute possibilities.

Member of the Boomeraang Squad: charleegirl, Jesus.Lives, Liselle129, and honorary member SnakeEyes16

Thank you to libowiekitty, Tech-Man, White Fuzzy Ears, 7sins7lies (I wrote you privately about Zuko), and IGAF-kun for reviewing Chapter 12.

Sleepydragon001: Well, here's a Kataang, but I'm coming up dry on Tokka at the moment. If you have any ideas, I'll entertain them.

MormonMaiden: Thanks. I thought Mai deserved to have her side told, and I liked leaving it a little open as to whether Zuko was seeing her in a new way or not. The next installment may answer that.

Dakyu: I kind of thought I did Mai's view watching Iroh and Zuko? She couldn't hear everything because she was trying to give them some privacy. I do have another idea, but I think it will be Zuko's POV again.

pinguinolatino: I'm also looking forward to seeing how Mai responds to and interacts with Zuko in the next season.

SnakeEyes16: Yeah, Mai and Zuko are a little difficult to deal with, but I'm not generally one to back down from a challenge. Besides, you can imagine so much going on underneath the surface for both of them, and introspection is one of my favorite things to write.


	14. Dare You

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: This follows the Maiko saga from Chapters 10 and 12. It's probably the most…incomplete chapter of this collection.

Dare You 

"I don't think Azula will let him live much longer," Mai said solemnly, causing Zuko to look at her sharply. There was no doubt as to whom she was referring. Mai had led Zuko up to the roof of the palace. There was a clear line of sight in all directions, making it less likely they could be overheard.

"She's arrogant enough not to recognize how dangerous he can be," Zuko suggested hopefully. He wasn't naïve enough to think that Azula wouldn't jump at the chance to kill their uncle.

"True," Mai acknowledged. "But she sees him as a traitor, and you know what that means. Besides, he's a loose end, and Azula _hates_ those."

"Still, taking the life of a member of the royal family…_our_ family…."

"That's probably why she's held off this long. She may be waiting for your father to give permission for his brother's execution." Mai sounded matter-of-fact enough, but Zuko suspected that she was not as unmoved by this as she pretended. Or maybe he was only hoping to find a kindred spirit in this place where everyone seemed to be under his sister's thumb.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I just thought…" Mai trailed off, and her dark eyes looked to Zuko, measuring him up. Uncomfortable with this scrutiny, he ran a hand through his unruly hair. Mai moved close to him, speaking so unobtrusively that her lips scarcely moved. "We could free him."

Now it was Zuko's turn to give Mai a searching gaze. She returned it unflinchingly. Zuko began pacing.

"How? He's completely surrounded by stone and earth. Firebending isn't going to be of much use." Zuko had to admit he was tempted. He supposed his words were giving that away. He wasn't so much trying to talk her out of it as presenting her the opportunity to talk him _into_ it.

"You forget," she answered coldly, flicking her wrist sharply and causing a knife to slide smoothly into her waiting hand. "I'm not a bender. We have to come up with other ways of doing things."

"I'm sorry," he apologized, abashed. He stood still before her. "What did you have in mind?" Zuko was feeling a little bit of hope. When Mai outlined her plan, he thought it might actually work. He still wasn't decided, though. He felt guilt for betraying his uncle, certainly, but did a betrayal of his sister (and arguably his father) make up for that or just increase his own dishonor? How did his hope of rescuing Uncle Iroh and regaining his standing in that man's eyes balance against the hope Azula offered of gaining standing in his father's eyes?

"Then what?" he asked, stalling for time. Mai shrugged.

"We have basically two choices. We can either leave with him or stay here and pretend we had nothing to do with it."

Zuko considered the options. Staying would be very dangerous. He'd never been very good at keeping secrets from Azula. Even considering that he'd mostly been avoiding her since taking her side, it would be a great risk. If he went on the run again, on the other hand, he was probably sacrificing any chance of getting back into the Fire Lord's good graces. If anyone chanced to see them while carrying out the plan, the option to stay put would be closed.

"What do you think would be the best choice?"

"Either one would be exciting, so I don't really care," she responded in her usual, deadpan way. Zuko stared at her, amazed at the lengths she would go to fend off boredom. He wasn't sure if he was impressed or frightened. Not that the prince and heir of the Fire Nation would ever admit to being frightened, of course.

"Why would you help me with this?" he said curiously.

"I told you; I'm bored," Mai responded. She smirked. "I'm the one that let the Earth King and the others go free."

"You did what?"

"They just wanted the bear, and I was sick of it." She was speaking nonchalantly enough, but Zuko suspected that there was something more beneath her words, a discontent that ran deeper than the simple boredom she affected. "There wasn't really a downside for me. So, what's it going to be?"

"I don't know," Zuko wavered. "I just rejoined the Fire Nation. To turn against it again so soon? I'm not sure I can." To his surprise, Mai smiled. It was a real, genuine smile that made her eyes sparkle and transformed her face completely. It forcefully reminded Zuko that Mai was, in fact, a girl. A mischievous aspect entered her expression as she used a phrase he hadn't heard since he was a child.

"I dare you."

--

Author's note: I think this is really my first cliffhanger of the set. As a general reminder regarding suggestions, all of these have to take place in or around Ba Sing Se. I've bent some of the rules I began with in order to expand this collection, but I really want to stick with that one. Also, the idea should be able to be expressed in under 1000 words, or possibly be split into a couple of separate scenes of that length. On another topic, I have begun the songfic collection 76 Trombones, but there hasn't been much interest in it so far, so I hope that by plugging it here, more people will read it. The last time I checked, it only had 54 hits. I'd like to see 100 before I continue it.

Member of the Boomeraang Squad: charleegirl, Jesus.Lives, Liselle129, Strix Moonwing, Avatarwolf, and honorary member SnakeEyes16

Thank you to Tech-Man, SnakeEyes16, frozenheat, Aang's fangirl1214, and IGAF-kun for reviewing Chapter 13.

libowiekitty: Maybe Tokka next time. Magawa gave me a couple of ideas.

MormonMaiden: Oddly, I couldn't wait to get back to Maiko, either.

Magawa: Thanks for the ideas; I'm thinking about one of them.

GYY: I'm working on it, okay!

DarthPotter205: All of the fics in this collection are less than 1000 words, if you don't count the notes and song lyrics. I actually aim for 700-800 words per chapter, so they're intentionally short. I have longer oneshots as independent works.

Avatarwolf: Wow, what a long review! I'm glad Momo wasn't there. My eldest child will be five next month, so how early did your mom start? Yes, you can join. Just add the line to any new Avatar fics you write. You'll notice that Strix Moonwing is a new member as well.

Kumori Doragon: I don't know what to tell you about the OC-ness. The characters speak to me, and I have less control over what they say and do than you might think. I knew the last part was probably slightly OC, but I really needed some honest fluff!


	15. Tale of Magawa

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: Finally, a Tokka of sorts, with some George and Kataang on the side. Takes place shortly after the season 2 finale.

Tale of Magawa 

Sokka paced the beach near Ba Sing Se, unable to settle down. His mind was trying to go in about a hundred different directions at once, and he didn't know which thread to follow.

"I think he's going to be fine," offered Toph, misunderstanding his agitation. She was sitting a little further up the shore, where the ground was firmer. Sokka remembered how much she hated sand. Partly in deference to that, he moved closer to her. He looked over her head to where Aang was resting, Katara hovering over him protectively. Sokka sighed, knowing that he would never have the heart to try to keep them apart now, not after what they'd just been through.

"He's in good hands," he remarked aloud. "That's not really what I was worried about. I mean, I _am_ worried about him, but it's not the main thing."

"What, then?"

"Well, just…everything, I guess." Sokka sat beside her and hesitated. Toph wasn't exactly a first choice for someone to be discussing your love life with. Still, maybe it would help to start talking. "I keep coming back to Suki. It's so hard not knowing what happened to her." Sokka felt equally torn between anger and despair and was reluctant to give himself over to either one. A fortune about anguish and misery popped into his head, but he discarded it almost as quickly. Toph remained silent for a long moment, leading Sokka to believe that this had been a bad idea.

"Suki can take care of herself," Toph pointed out cautiously.

"Yes, I know. I might not always act like I know that, but I do. But Azula and the others had to get those uniforms from somewhere. Trust me, they were authentic."

"You're sure?"

"I've worn one. Yes, I'm sure." He wasn't pacing anymore, but he fidgeted, bobbing one knee up and down.

"Please stop that," Toph requested, and Sokka belatedly realized that the vibrations must have been driving her crazy. He stopped, and then did a double take. Had she just said "please?" That was new.

"Sorry," he said, making a conscious effort to sit still.

"I'm worried about Iroh, too," Toph said quietly.

"You don't understand! This wouldn't be the first time I lost someone I…loved." It was the first time he'd made such a statement aloud, about either Yue or Suki, and a part of Sokka found it very odd that he'd chosen Toph as his confidant. Did he love Suki? After all, he'd only really met her twice. On the other hand, one passing view of Yue had been enough. He wished he had told her how he felt, just once.

"Worrying isn't really going to help," Toph said after another long silence.

"Don't you think I know that? I just can't help thinking about it. I mean, look at what Azula did to Aang! Do you think she'd hesitate--" Sokka broke off as his throat constricted painfully. When they'd come upon Katara with eyes streaming, cradling Aang's limp form, it had been one of the scariest things Sokka had ever seen. He remembered only too well how it had felt to hold Yue's lifeless body after she gave her life force to the moon spirit, and he wouldn't wish that feeling on anyone, especially his sister. "He's the most powerful person in the world. Suki's not even a bender."

"You never let that hold _you_ back," she reminded him. Sokka shrugged, knowing she could feel the movement. He looked back over at Aang and Katara. The wound on Aang's back still looked horrible, and he could only imagine what it must have been like for Katara to actually watch the strike. The thought of Suki with similar marks on her was almost more than Sokka could bear. He took a deep breath and collected himself. His little family needed Sokka to be level-headed, and that was about the only thing holding him together right now.

"I feel like I've failed to protect someone again," he admitted softly, again distantly wondering what had come over him that he was opening up like this. Of course, the whole situation was kind of surreal, right down to Toph being understanding and supportive.

"She never asked for your protection," she reminded him.

"I know. It doesn't really help, though."

Toph chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully. Sokka couldn't be sure, but she seemed to be having some kind of internal struggle.

"I do want to help Iroh," she went on brusquely. "Suki might have been in trouble longer, though. I think we should look for her and the other Kyoshi warriors first."

"If we can get the others to agree," Sokka added a condition. Even so, having a definite goal in mind helped him to feel more settled, and his mind stopped running in circles. He gave the earthbender a quick, one-armed squeeze.

"Thanks, Toph."

"Don't mention it, Sokka."

Sokka had a feeling she meant that quite literally, but when he retrieved his arm, it seemed that the day was continuing to get weirder. He squinted at Toph's face, and though he found it hard to believe, he would have sworn she was blushing.

--

Author's note: I'm not sure how I feel about this one. I like some parts of it, but I don't know if the whole is as effective as I'd hoped. Oh, well, tell me what you think.

Member of the Boomeraang Squad: charleegirl, Jesus.Lives, Liselle129, Strix Moonwing, Avatarwolf, MormonMaiden, and honorary member SnakeEyes16

Thank you to softballgirl9411, IGAF-kun, and Aangtheavatar for reviewing Chapter 14.

Augustus Dominic: Well, this is sort of Sokka and Suki, and it could lead into a real one. I'm sorry, but you can't be a member of the Boomeraang Squad until you've written Avatar fanfics. Maybe, if you become a regular reviewer for me or the other members, you can gain honorary status like SnakeEyes16.

White Fuzzy Ears: I only played "Truth or Dare" with a bunch of girls, but I actually had fun playing "Spin the Bottle" in college. All the guys were drunk and the girls sober, which made for a very…interesting game. The beer breath wasn't so great.

Jesus.Lives: Nice to hear from you again! Yeah, I could totally see her doing something like this.

frozenheat: Is there such a thing as a good cliffhanger? Sorry I haven't resolved it quite yet.

Durin's Bane: I am considering putting the Maiko series into its own fic and expanding it some.

MormonMaiden: Thank you for appreciating that paragraph. I thought it was time Zuko started thinking of Mai as a girl.

Nuclear Kitty: I'm still not sure how far Maiko will go in canon, but I'm finding it kind of fun to develop.

Avatarwolf: I guess she didn't start all _that_ young, then. You're just still young.:)

Tech-Man: I'm interested to see how it works out, too. I figure that Mai doesn't really have any stake in staying with Azula like Zuko does, nor any particular loyalty. Azula won't hesitate to cast Mai aside as soon as she is no longer useful, and Mai won't hesitate to jump ship if a better offer comes along.

Kumori Doragon: Yes, not interfering with Kataang IS all that matters! I do count myself blessed that these things just sort of leap into my head fully formed, but it can be a mixed blessing, like when it keeps me awake at night.

Kimbalynn616: I don't understand the attraction of Zutara, either. I actually think they're too similar to have a lasting romance. Two quick tempers just do not go together.


	16. Escape

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: This concludes the Maiko set from Chapters 10, 12, and 14. While I'm thinking of putting these into their own story, filling out what's there and continuing on, I don't really want to start another multi-chapter fic right now. Destiny's Call is pretty demanding.

Escape 

Iroh's rescue had been completed quite smoothly. In fact, in Mai's opinion, it had all been almost laughably easy.

_Benders,_ she thought disdainfully. They tended to get so wrapped up with their bending techniques that they forgot there were other, often simpler, ways to accomplish things. Of course, it had taken a great deal of preparation, and their timing had to be perfect, but once everything was set up, all had gone perfectly according to plan.

Zuko and Mai had spent days studying the guards' rounds, memorizing when they were at different points, and, more importantly, when they weren't someplace. They looked at palace schematics and toured the grounds and the parts of the city that were nearby. Finally, when Mai judged they were ready, the two of them had gone at night to Iroh's cell, making sure that the guards had not altered their patterns and allowing them the maximum time possible. Then Mai, using a combination of specialized tools and her knife collection, simply removed the door from its hinges. With Zuko lending his brute strength, they were able to shift the door, lock still intact. Mai worked her magic on the shackles, and Zuko hefted Iroh's body, leaving them just enough time to replace the door roughly in the same position so that no one would notice anything amiss until they actually stood right in front of the cell.

Mai knew that Zuko would not be able to shoulder the considerable bulk of his uncle long enough to get them out of the city. Therefore, over the course of several days, they had stashed an ostrich-horse and some supplies a few blocks away from the palace grounds. Mai retrieved these things, and Zuko unloaded his burden onto the animal with evident relief.

As yet, no one had spoken a word, feeling the need for quiet. Mai and Zuko didn't need to discuss anything, having already hammered out every detail. Iroh was clearly weakened from his ordeal, and they would not be able to travel far with him until he regained some of his strength. Fortunately, this, too, had been expected.

Among their other preparations, Zuko and Mai had discovered that several of the structures on the outer wall possessed hidden entrances to tunnels that ran through the fortification. There were no outlets to the outside, the people who designed the tunnels doubtless assuming that anyone who needed to use them would be earthbenders who could make their own doors. However, Mai had again demonstrated her ingenuity, loosening some of the stones so that Zuko could blast them an opening with little noise or effort. They would leave a gaping hole in the outer wall, but that couldn't be helped.

With a tarp drawn over Iroh, Mai and Zuko exited the inner wall easily enough. The Dai Li recognized them and did not question their reasons for going abroad so late. After the gates had closed behind them, they shifted direction a little.

Fortunately, the distance between the outer and inner walls on the eastern side of the city was not so great as on the other side. At last, they reached the vacant military barracks they had chosen for their entry point. Azula had no reason to defend the wall anymore, since the only likely attackers would be her own people, so the few guards remaining were a skeleton crew for show.

They found the tunnel, punched the exit at their designated location, and proceeded on to the hills that overlooked the sea behind the city. This was the only part that could not be planned exactly due to time constraints, but they found a cave just before dawn and settled in it to rest. Mai debated setting the ostrich-horse free at this point, to add to the confusion that would ensue when their absence was discovered, but they might still need it.

"We did it," Zuko broke the silence. "Now, I'm on the run again. I can't believe it."

"I think it's exciting," Mai returned, and she was among those to be surprised that this was true.

"So, what do we do now?" asked Zuko. "Azula virtually controls the Earth Kingdom. Where can we go?" As usual, he had not been thinking ahead. Mai, however, had, though she wasn't ready to reveal her plans quite yet.

"It's a big country," she replied. "I'm sure we'll be able to find places to hide."

"Thank you for freeing me, Zuko," Iroh spoke at last. "I knew you would come around."

"Actually, it was Mai's idea," Zuko responded, turning to her. "You must have another reason for doing this. I know why I went along, but what's Uncle Iroh to you?" Mai lowered her eyes. This, then, was the moment of truth. It was funny how Zuko could be both perceptive and incredibly blind at the same time.

"I didn't do it for him," she admitted softly. There were several beats of silence.

"I still don't understand," Zuko sounded perplexed. Iroh, however, understood perfectly.

"Nephew, I believe she did it for you." In the oppressive pause that followed these words, Mai chanced a look up at Zuko. Once she had done this, she couldn't look away. His golden eyes held her, captivating yet unreadable. Finally, in his usual fashion, Zuko summed everything up in a single, eloquent syllable.

"Oh."

--

Author's note: Okay, so it's not much resolution of a romance, but if I carried it any further, they wouldn't be near Ba Sing Se anymore. For the time being, I leave the rest to your imagination.

Member of the Boomeraang Squad: charleegirl, Jesus.Lives, Liselle129, Strix Moonwing, Avatarwolf, MormonMaiden, libowiekitty, and honorary member SnakeEyes16

Thank you to IGAF-kun, Dakyu and Avatarwolf (and Momo) for reviewing Chapter 15.

Magawa: Oh, I don't know. Sometimes I think Sokka thinks too much.

libowiekitty: OK, you're a member of the squad now. Just remember to add that line to your fics!

Aangs fangirl1214: The show does seem to draw a lot of parallels, like Aang's view of Katara when he regained consciousness in the finale being so similar to his very first look at her, so I like to highlight those things.

White Fuzzy Ears: I'm not totally sure what you meant, but it will probably be sooner than a few years.

frozenheat: I'm glad you found it effective, and I do think Toph will want to rescue Iroh.

Durins Bane: Yeah, with Sokka's other options at the moment, I can't see him going for Toph. Besides, he already said that he considers himself to be "with" Suki.

MormonMaiden: OK, I'm confused; are you my fangirl or Sokka's? Anyway, I'm happy I gave you butterflies!

SnakeEyes16: Yeah, I'm kind of in Avatar withdrawal myself. I think that's why I'm writing so much. I actually pulled out the Season 1 DVD set a few days ago, watched the first two episodes, then watched Lake Laogai on tape. You can totally hear the difference in Aang's voice.

Tech-Man: Toph is capable of being understanding; she just prefers not to show it. As it turned out, your review did inspire me to a new idea, so the next chapter will be yours.

Kumori Doragon: I think we've all been there when it comes to crushes. I thought it would be funny to have Toph blushing, since I don't think we've ever seen it. I've been wondering if she would even try to hide it, since she may not realize that other people can see that reaction.

Kimbalynn616: I'm actually not a huge Tokka fan, either, but there is at least some evidence for a one-sided crush, and a couple of readers were clamoring for it.


	17. Tale of TechMan

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: I just wanted to mention that I watched the 4 new episodes of Kim Possible over the weekend, and I have to say that Kim and Ron are very cute as a couple, and their relationship allows the writers to pursue some plot lines that wouldn't be possible otherwise. I'm really happy with Disney for sort of bucking the television trend and keeping them together. Anyway, I'm glad people liked the last line of the previous chapter. I thought about adding a little bit after that, but I decided it was best left the way it was. This is a companion piece to Chapter 15, inspired by Tech-Man's use of the word "wound" in his review.

Tale of Tech-Man 

_And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.  
--I Corinthians 13:13_

"What do you think they're talking about?" Aang asked. Katara followed his gaze to where Sokka and Toph were sitting on the beach.

"I don't know," she answered, returning her attention to her patient. "To be honest, I can't really think about anything but you." Aang's eyes flickered back to meet hers, but he didn't seem to have any response to this.

"Let me see that wound," Katara commanded, trying to be clinical. She turned Aang over to view the burn left by the lightning that had nearly killed him. He didn't resist, and his lack of interest troubled her. "I might be able to heal it, but it won't be easy. And I don't think your tattoo will ever be the same."

"Just leave it," Aang said flatly.

"What? Why?"

"It'll be a reminder of my failure," he replied, turning back over. He gave her a small smile, but there was no humor in it. "Zuko has his scar; now I have mine."

"Don't compare yourself to him," she snapped, a little more harshly than she'd intended. "Ever." Aang looked startled at her vehemence. Something that might have been jealousy flickered across his face, but it was gone before Katara could be sure.

"What exactly happened between you two?" Aang wondered aloud.

"Nothing. I thought, maybe…but I've never been more wrong."

Aang studied her carefully, biting his lip as he considered something.

"His uncle said there was good in him," he offered. "He's a very wise man; maybe he was right."

"You don't understand! I almost used the spirit water to heal Zuko's scar! If I had, then I wouldn't have – you'd be –" Katara broke off, throwing her arms around him. He felt so frail in her arms that she found herself bursting into tears. Again. She'd probably cried more in the last two days than in the previous year, and while she hated herself for it, she couldn't seem to help it. "Promise me I'll never have to see you like that again."

Aang's hands had been stroking her hair and back consolingly, but they abruptly stopped, clutching at her convulsively instead.

"You know I can't promise that," he murmured. When she pulled away to look at him, his gray eyes looked suddenly ancient, weighted down with the dreadful burdens he carried, and that probably broke her heart more than anything else.

"I know," she agreed. "But…I almost lost you. I don't know if I can go through that again. Aang…I love you." Somewhat ironically, Katara's fear of not getting the chance to say this to him gave her the courage to do it. She wasn't sure how long it had been true, at least in this particular way, but when she had watched Aang fall from Azula's strike, there had been no more room for doubt. A flurry of emotions chased each other through Aang's eyes before settling on love and, oddly enough, guilt.

"I love you, too, more than you'll ever know," he admitted quietly. He looked away. "Maybe more than I should."

"What do you mean?"

"I couldn't master the Avatar state because I couldn't give you up. I put my feelings above everything else. This is all my fault." Tears began running down his face as Katara struggled to comprehend what he was telling her. He'd placed her above the world? A fresh wave of crying started for her, too, but she managed to keep her voice steady when she spoke.

"I don't understand all of this, but love isn't a weakness, Aang. Love kept me going after my mother died – remembering the love of my mom and dad, even when they were gone, and sharing love with Sokka and Gran-Gran and, eventually, with you. If you don't deserve some love in your life, who does? You've already lost nearly everything. Why would anyone want to take any more from you? I don't want to live in a world so cosmically unjust!" Finally running out of words, she fell silent. Aang had returned his gaze to her, and she saw his eyes fill with a new strength and determination.

"You're right, Katara," he said, sitting up straight. "Even the guru said that love is a source of power. Maybe I misunderstood something. I don't want to lose you, either. I love you."

Smiling through her tears, Katara bent to hug Aang again and planted a kiss on his cheek, but somehow, that wasn't enough this time. Shifting a little, she touched her lips to his. Although she would never be able to remember the sensation later, she had the undeniable feeling of something clicking into place, something that had been planned for a long time. When she broke the kiss, she moved to sit beside him.

"I believe in you," she told him. "As long as you're still here, and you can still love, I think there's hope."

"You know, Iroh told me I was wise to choose love and happiness over power," Aang remarked, smiling at her. She smiled back.

"Like you said, he's a very wise man."

--

Author's note: I probably wrote enough dialogue for three scenes like this, so I re-wrote it several times in my quest to decide which parts to keep and which to cut. I actually cried while drafting Katara's long speech, so I hope my readers find it moving, too.

Member of the Boomeraang Squad: charleegirl, Jesus.Lives, Liselle129, Strix Moonwing, Avatarwolf, MormonMaiden, libowiekitty, and honorary member SnakeEyes16

Thank you to IGAF-kun and Dakyu for reviewing Chapter 16.

White Fuzzy Ears: Okay, seriously, I don't have the faintest idea what I said that led you to say the things you did in your last couple of reviews, and I'm really not following. Maybe you need to get more sleep?

MormonMaiden: I have no problem sharing you with Sokka.

SnakeEyes16: Yeah, I don't really know how Maiko will play out in the series, but I have to believe it was introduced for a reason. I actually had a lot of fun writing these.

Tech-Man: I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter, and I hope you were pleased by this one that you inspired.

Kumori Doragon: I'm finding the supporting characters like Mai quite fun to play with specifically because the show leaves a lot open to your imagination. It's so interesting to think about what might be going on inside her head.

Kimbalynn616: Well, yeah, Serpent's Pass, plus the finale, like where Toph wrapped her arms around Sokka's arm riding Appa, and how she used earthbending to push Ty Lee away from him later.

Chaos Overlord: I'm really glad you've enjoyed this series, but I'm afraid you'll have to look to someone else for Tokka make-outs. I'm trying to keep all of this within the context of where the show is right now, and I just can't see Sokka really being interested in Toph until she's older. He's shown a preference for older women thus far.

Avatarwolf: Yes, Mai was excited. It had to happen some time?

Aangtheavatar: I know what you mean…Sokka/boomerang? How about Earth King/Bosco? Actually, I don't object too strenuously to any ship that doesn't contradict Kataang, although I'm not really into the yaoi/yuri stuff (slash).


	18. Tale of Kataang'sLoyalDevotedSlave

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: This is an idea that's been floating around in my head for a while. It originated with a suggestion by Kataang's-Loyal-Devoted-Slave for the song "Pick-A-Little, Talk-A-Little" for my 76 Trombones collection about Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee gossiping about Katara. It didn't quite work there, but I still thought it could spawn an interesting story, and although it wanders away from that theme somewhat, here it is at last.

Tale of Kataang's-Loyal-Devoted-Slave 

"Do we _have _to keep her here?" Ty Lee demanded, re-applying her Kyoshi makeup in the common room she shared with Azula and Mai at the Earth King's palace. Azula presumed she was talking about the waterbender they had recently captured.

"What do you want me to do? Let her go?" Azula sneered with all the considerable disdain she could muster.

"I don't know," Ty Lee pouted. "I just don't like having girls around who are prettier than me."

"Is that all you ever think about?" Mai accused wearily, rolling her eyes. "What difference does it make who's prettier?"

"Easy for you to say. I bet you'd care if she was after Zuko," Ty Lee shot back in a sing-song voice. "He's all _you _ever think about." Mai looked down abruptly. This comment seemed all the more relevant because they had just learned that Zuko and Uncle Iroh were actually in the city. In any case, Ty Lee's words began to give Azula the germ of an idea.

"Well, at least I'm not throwing myself at the enemy!" retorted Mai.

"Stop it, both of you!" Azula commanded. They'd been having pretty much the same argument for weeks, and it was giving Azula a headache. At times like this, it was hard to remember why she'd recruited them. "I can't get rid of the girl because she's bait. The Avatar will come for her, and when he does, I'll get him. I need her alive and under my control for that."

Azula was hoping she could kill the Avatar. The Fire Sages had revealed that if the Avatar were killed while in the glowing Avatar State, he would not be reborn, and the cycle would be broken. Azula's plan was to provide him with enough of a threat to force him into that state and then dispatch him once and for all. That was the best scenario, but she'd settle for capture, if necessary. If she killed him under any other circumstances, he would just be reborn into the Water Tribe, and though she was pretty sure the new Avatar would grow up far too late to stop the Fire Nation's world domination, it was best not to take chances.

"Oooh, maybe he'll bring that cute guy with him," Ty Lee suggested eagerly. "The one with the boomerang."

"Won't the generals notice she's gone?" wondered Mai, though without much interest. "She's supposed to be meeting with them regularly."

"By the time they realize she's missing, the generals will no longer be a problem," Azula stated confidently. "We have a lot to do before then, though. I have to solidify my hold on the Dai Li and use them to remove the king and his generals from power. Naturally, I also need to deal with my brother and uncle."

"What do you want us to do, Azula?" asked Ty Lee.

"Mostly, just behave yourselves and stay out of my way. I'll let you know when I need you."

"What are you going to do to General Iroh and Prince Zuko?" Mai asked, this time trying a little too hard to sound like she didn't care.

"I believe my uncle is a lost cause, but it remains to be seen whether Zuzu is an enemy." Azula tossed the last word at Mai deliberately, reminding her that she might be guilty of the same thing of which she had earlier been accusing Ty Lee. "I think I'll put him in with the waterbender when we catch him."

"Why?" Mai could no longer feign her indifference, and Azula rather enjoyed the flare of jealousy, although it also worried her. She didn't bother about Ty Lee's crushes; they were superficial and fleeting. Mai, however, had had this thing for Zuko for years, and the fact that it seemed to have persisted through three years of his absence was cause for concern. Part of her reason for putting him in the crystal caverns was to keep him safely away from Mai, at least until Azula was reasonably satisfied as to which side Zuko was really on.

"Ty Lee gave me the idea," said Azula calmly. "I need to test him. My brother always did have a nauseating, sentimental side, and I want to see if the girl will soften him up. He'll spend a little time with her, and maybe she'll try to convince him that hers is the better cause. Then the Avatar will show up to rescue her, and Zuko will have a big decision to make."

"I think he'll still go after the Avatar!" Ty Lee contributed, sounding like a contestant on a game show.

"So do I, but I need to be sure," Azula agreed.

"I still don't see what makes Zuko a traitor," Mai broke in dryly. "Was it escaping when those pirates tried to kill him or not going quietly with you to be imprisoned for the rest of his life?" Although the tone was not particularly offensive, Azula didn't appreciate the apparent challenge to her authority. She narrowed her eyes at Mai, who gazed back unflinchingly. Azula was not really angry, being scarcely capable of experiencing any true human emotion, but she found Mai's lack of fear disturbing. It was part of what made Mai useful, true, but eventually, the irritation would outweigh her usefulness. When that day came…well, Azula would come up with a way to settle these scores. For now, Azula needed her, so she just smiled coldly, causing Ty Lee to give a satisfying shiver.

"Enough talking, ladies," she almost purred, cutting off all further debate. "We have work to do."

--

Author's note: Only Ty Lee was truly gossiping, I guess, but that seems to fit the characters. For those who are interested, I will soon be posting a standalone oneshot about Aang growing his hair out for the third season. I know it's been a long time, but I've still tried to do review replies from the last chapter of this series. I don't know if there will be more added to this or not.

Member of the Boomeraang Squad: charleegirl, Jesus.Lives, Liselle129, Strix Moonwing, Avatarwolf, MormonMaiden, libowiekitty, Snows of Yester-Year, La Vixen de Amor, chocolatecoveredbananacheese, Aangy, and honorary member SnakeEyes16

Thank you to TTAvatarfan, Tech-Man, libowiekitty, Aangs fangirl1214, kataang93, pinguinolatino, chocolatecoveredbananacheese, gigi2690, Sonic1fan1, talonlee, Nerf-or-Nothing (replied privately), and Avvygirl (I guess I am continuing) for reviewing Chapter 17.

frozenheat: Yeah, I do wonder if that injury will result in a permanent scar for Aang. Interesting thought.

Durins Bane: A multi-chapter Maiko is an idea I've been playing with. The four chapters in this collection could provide a good foundation. Of course, as you know, I'm still plugging away at Destiny's Call.

White Fuzzy Ears: Nope, no idea. Here I left this collection for five months, and I'm finally updating again. I hope you're getting more sleep now that school is out!

MormonMaiden: We can only hope. I've been thinking that The Awakening episode might refer in part to Aang and Katara "awakening" to the true potential of their relationship. I wish I wish I wish!

Kimbalynn616: Yes, but Toph could have theoretically held onto one arm each of Sokka and Aang, if she felt about them both the same way. I agree that it's subtle, but the Kataang has been subtle for the last six episodes, too, so who knows?

UNDER-CITY WALLS: Um, I don't know? I haven't had any ideas going forward, but that doesn't mean there won't be something.

IGAF-kun: Thanks. I don't use Bible quotes very often, but it's amazing what they can illuminate.

Kataang's-Loyal-Devoted-Slave: I'm still astonished that you read that much of my work all at once. I'm certainly glad you think it's worth the effort. Thank you very much for your compliments, and this one was for you!

Mirani: I love trying to squeeze little moments in between canon. If you liked these, you might also enjoy 76 Trombones and Avatar Goes Broadway, which are similar. The idea of having Sokka find Suki is still open, but I haven't come up with a solid idea yet.


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